I See Darkness
by The Little Monster 1024
Summary: Darkness surrounds me. You're there, I know you're there. But I can't see you.


**I See Darkness**

AN: Found this on a the tumblr fanfic prompts blog.

* * *

He was running. Running faster than he ever had before. He could feel his heart in his throat, he could hardly breathe. The stale air of the abandoned building's basement attacked his face with each step. The room was dark, the only light coming from his phone that he was holding out for light and a few flickering light bulbs.

They'd had a long day. A body had dropped before five in the morning. She rolled out of bed and got dressed, waking him up as she did. They got ready in silence, he got their coffee. Their commute to the scene was done in silence, both practically dragging their bodies out of the car, a long night of lovemaking had kept them up until late into the night.

The cool morning air woke them up quickly, they walked over to Lanie and listened to the story of their vic, the pretty young blonde stabbed in the chest twenty-seven times. Someone had hated her, really hated her. Or really loved her. With it being a crime filled with so much passion, family, friends, and significant others were investigated first. When they were all ruled out, they moved onto co-workers, and then so on. The day went on with nothing. Not a single lead came in until ten minutes before they were about to go home for the night. Kate was already daydreaming about a warm bath with some wine and her fiance nestled in behind her.

That daydream was pushed aside when the tip came in about the vic's neighbor, his obsession with her. They went to check it out. One thing happened and then another and he was running from them, they chased him to the basement of the apartment building. He took off and Kate quickly caught up, chasing him around the corner with Esposito and Ryan on her heels. Castle was slower than them, much slower.

By the time he heard her scream, he was so far behind that he couldn't hear their footsteps anymore.

"Kate?!" He yelled out, she screamed again. "Where are you, Kate?"

There was a loud band, Esposito yelled. Two gunshots were fired and Castle picked up speed. He ran through the dark, barely able to see. He reached the end of a dark hall, he didn't know which way to turn.

"Castle!" Ryan's voice came from the left. Castle whipped around and ran in the direction of Ryan's voice. As he got closer, he could hear them more clearly.

"Oh god..." Came Esposito's voice.

Ryan's voice could be heard too, he was dialing on his phone. And then he asked for an ambulance, an officer was down. He needed help, _she_ needed help.

He turned the corner, the light was flicker but he could see her on the ground. She was on her back, her hand over her eyes. The suspect was only feet away from her, blood flowing from his chest, making a river that led steadily to Kate, soaking through her shirt.

Ryan was on the phone and Esposito was kneeling beside her at a loss for words.

Castle rushed over, he pushed the other detective out of the way to kneel down next to his fiancee. His eyes scanned her body, looking over her injuries. Blood trickled down from her hair, a thin line that stopped at her eyebrow. Her cheek and forehead were already turning a dark purple. Her nose was broken too. What had been so perfect only moments ago was now bruised and crooked, swollen and red from the blood that was pouring out. He gently reached out and brushed her hair back, his hand came back covered in her blood.

She was unconscious. Castle took her hand and held it tightly, afraid to move her anymore. He looked up at Ryan. "How long until the ambulance is here?"

As if on cue, he heard sirens outside and then footsteps in the basement. Ryan called them over, led them to where Kate was lying on the cold cement. The paramedics lifted her up onto the gurney and wheeled her out quickly. Castle followed after them. He rode in the ambulance, held her hand while the paramedics looked her over.

When they arrived at the hospital, she was wheeled back behind big double doors. Castle paced the floor, waiting for the doctor to come out. He watched people come and go, some healthy, some not; some beyond happy, some just barely hiding their sadness. Doctors came and went, talking to other people in the waiting room, telling them about their loved ones while Castle waited to hear about his.

After when seemed liked hours, the doctor emerged from behind the same doors that Kate had been taken through. Castle rushed over.

"Is she okay?"

"She was pretty banged up. The blow to the head is something we're going to have to watch."

Castle nodded. "But she's okay?"

The doctor hesitated. "The blow may have left her temporarily blind. That can happen with a head injury such as this one."

"God... if she is, how long until she has her sight back?" He asked_. Blind?_

"A couple hours. Maybe a couple days. We can't be sure."

Castle looked at him. "But you're sure that it'd come back?"

"There's a good chance."

A good chance? Jesus...

Castle sighed. "Can I see her?"

"Of course." The doctor said with a nod.

He led Castle back to Kate's room. She was laying back against her pillow, still unconscious. There was a bandaged on her forehead; the blood had all been cleaned up. Her nose was in a splint. Her face was swollen, the hospital gown feel off of her shoulder to reveal that it was bruised as well.

She looked small, fragile. But still so strong at the same time. How that was possible, he didn't know. One of those Beckett mysteries.

She was going to be in a lot of pain when she woke up, she'd have to take some time off; get some rest. But she'd be okay. Temporary blindness, a broken nose, stitches. But she'd be okay.

She was okay.

He sat down in the chair next to her hospital bed, scooting it closer. He took her hand and held it gently, waiting for her to wake up. The sounds of the hospital, the footsteps, the nurses, the random beeping of machines all almost put him to sleep.

His eyes were drooping when he felt her hand twitch in his his. His eyes snapped open and he stood, Kate moved her head to the side drowsily. Her eyes fluttered open. Her eyes, which were red and bloodshot, were empty, looking at nothing.

Kate tensed, her hand gripping his tightly. "Castle..."

"I'm right here, Kate." He said, his voice soft.

She turned her head in his direction. "I can't see." Panic rising in her voice. "Why can't I see?"

Castle caressed the back of her hand with his thumb, bringing his other hand up to gently brush hair back from her face. "The suspect really beat you up. The doctor said with the head injury, temporary blindness is common."

"Blindness..."  
"_Temporary_ blindness." He corrected.

"Castle, what if my sight doesn't come back?" She was trying to keep herself calm and composed, she was trying so hard.

"It will."

"Is that what the doctor said? That he was 100% sure it'd come back?"

"He said there was a good chance." He told her gently.

She sighed, her breath hitching just a little. She laid her head back on the pillow, still gripping his hand tightly.

"You're going to be fine, Kate."

"You don't know that." She closed her eyes.

Silence fell over them. He wished there was something his could say, something he could do to help her. He wished he could reassure her, be positive that her sight would come back.

She sat up a little, looking in his direction. "What if it doesn't come back? I'll be blind. I won't be able to work, I-" She stopped when her voice broke, she was going to cry. She couldn't see...

Castle gently wrapped his arms around her, she came willingly, laying her head on his shoulder and burying her face in his neck. It hurt her stitches, her broken nose, but she didn't care.

"Be careful, Kate." He murmured.

She ignored him. She needed this. Needed to rely on what senses she had left to keep her calm. The familiar feel of his arms around her kept her from crying. The smell of his cologne and his warm breath on her hair comforted her.

She closed her useless eyes and breathed him in on a deep breath.

"You're going to be okay." He said again.

"What if I'm not?"

He rubbed her back. "Then we'll figure it out."

She let out a shaky breath and nestled in closer to him. He held her tighter, she needed that sometimes. To just be held. He never would've pegged her as a person who needed to be cuddled.

"Lay with me." She said quietly.

Castle looked at the hospital bed, it wasn't that big, there'd barely be any room. But how could he say no? He nodded and then remembered. "Okay."

She pulled away and laid down, scooting over to make room for her. He climbed up and wedged himself between her and the railing on the bed. She laid her head on his chest, he brought his arm around her, holding her close.

"I won't be able to work...I won't be able to see our wedding...or...or if we have kids...I-"

"Shh. Shh, Kate, relax. Just relax." He kissed her hair. "Just relax."

She nodded, trying to calm her fears. She tried to relax. She listened to the sound of Castle's breathing, the sound of his heartbeat. It helped. She calmed down.

* * *

Two days.

It'd been two days without sight.

For two days she'd been in total darkness.

She'd had visitors that she hadn't been able to see. When her father came to see her, she couldn't see the worry on his face that she'd heard in his voice. She couldn't see the guilt that lined the voices of Ryan and Esposito.

Castle stayed by her side, but she couldn't see him. She missed seeing him. So much of their relationship relied on their eyes, the way they see each other. Their relationship wasn't focused on how they looked, but that's how it'd all began; their attraction to each other. Then, as time went on, it developed into so much more. The way they looked at each other when they thought no one was looking. Those times when they're looking into each other's eyes like they're the only two people on the planet.

If her sight didn't come back, she'd never be able to do that again. She'd never get to look at him again. She'd never get to see his eyes filled with love for her again. She'd never get to watch him sleep when she woke up before him. She wouldn't be able to see her wedding. Her dress, her bridesmaids, her dad walking her down the aisle, all things she'd never get to see. She wouldn't get to see Castle watching her from the end of the aisle. Someday, when they have a baby, she won't be able to see him or her. She won't be able to see whether or not they have his eyes or her nose. She won't be able to watch their baby smile for the first time, walk for the first time.

* * *

She opened her eyes slowly, carefully.

At first, it was just bright. A bright, bright white. It almost hurt. Then, everything got blurry. She could make out shapes. The shape of the door across the room or the nurses walking by.

She turned her head. Castle was asleep in the chair next to her, his head was resting on the bed. She could see him. She could see his messy hair, she could see his blue shirt. She could _see_!

She watched him sleep, his eyes moving a little as he dreamed. She smiled and reached out to run her hand through his hair gently. "Castle." She whispered.

He didn't budge.

She shook his head just a little. "Castle, wake up."

His eyes fluttered open slowly and he looked up at her sleepily. She was smiling brighter than she had in the last few days. He sat up quickly, his eyes as wide as his smile. "Kate?"

She nodded quickly. "I can see!"

He let out a sigh of relief, chuckling a little as he did. He pulled her into a hug and held her tightly. She hugged him back just as tightly.

She could see again!

She pulled back and looked at him, at his eyes that shined with that familiar love and adoration. Her smile widened, her eyes scanning his face. She might never look away again. She thought she'd never be able to see him again. She thought she'd never see their lives again.

He smiled at her, she smiled back.

She's never going to look away.

* * *

**Headcannon: Kate Beckett likes cuddles.  
No one can convince me otherwise.**

**What do you guys think? **

_*** I apologize for any medical mistakes * **_


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